The Oaks Environmental Plantation Project

The Oaks Environmental Plantation Project is a Plantation Forestry project located near Whiporie, approximately 45km southwest of Casino in the Richmond Valley region of New South Wales. It was registered in April 2025 and covers an area of 428.90 hectares.

The project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative-Plantation Forestry) Methodology Determination 2022. The primary project activity involves the transitioning of an existing plantation forest to a permanent planting. This method allows projects to earn Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) by ceasing commercial timber harvesting and maintaining the pre-existing plantation as a permanent forest, particularly in situations where the land is at high risk of being cleared and converted into non-forested agricultural land.

The Richmond Valley and broader Northern Rivers area are heavily utilised for beef cattle grazing, cropping, and extensive forestry operations. The environment is characterised by a humid subtropical climate with high annual rainfall, typically exceeding 1,000mm. The soils in this region are known to be fertile, often featuring basalt-derived clays and sandy loams that provide excellent conditions for vigorous tree growth.

An interesting note regarding this project is the proponent, Saul Clough. Clough is an experienced carbon sector professional who has served as a Business Development Manager for GreenCollar, one of Australia's largest environmental markets and carbon project developers. This suggests that the project is likely managed with a high degree of technical expertise in carbon accounting and nature repair markets.